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How To Troubleshoot Cloning A PC

Cloning a PC can be frustrating when it does not go to plan. 

If you are outside Upgradeable office hours, this article should help you identify any issues and hopefully complete the clone.

If an Acronis clone fails, we suggesting using Macrium. The reason is it can take a long time to identify a cloning issue. Acronis is a tool. If the tool does not work properly, just use another tool. We recommend Macrium Reflect free edition the Home edition.

Macium is a little bit hard to use, but we have a guide to help you.

Please note if you have already tried to clone, there will be data and partitions on the drive. When using Macrium, you will see that data. In the working space, you need to delete those partitions first before you can pull down the partitions you need to clone.

What type of error are you getting?

There are three types of cloning errors. 

1. The error is due to a failing disk. When your computer hard drive is failing there is usually some physical damage happening. The process of cloning can make those errors worse. If you believe the errors are due to a corrupt or faulty hard drive then we recommend AEOMI cloning software. AEOMI has a few functions that help clone damage disks. It is free to use as long as you have less than 6 partitions. A standard Win 10 installation has 4 partitions. If you have more it could be your computer has recovery partitions (usually HP). These are not essential to clone, and usually contain outdated software and tools if you ahve owned the computer for a number of years.

 2. Error at the end. If the clone happy works (100gb per hour) and then fails at the very end it could be a partition issue. Usually occurs when cloning from harger capcity drive to a smaller size SSD. The cloning software is having an issue partitioning the right sizes. The problem is usually the last partition, and it is probably a hidden partition. If you install the SSD it will most likely work. If you require a full clone, including hidden recovery partitions, please use Macrium. 

3. The unexplainable. Unexpectedly the clone process fails. If you repeat the clone it will fail at the same position. This can be drive corruption (see 1.) or a file is giving permission issues. Try using a different cloning software. 

4. Cloning fails almost immediately, and at first you think that was a very quick clone! Check cable connections, it is likely a cable cloning issue. Check that all virus protection software has been disabled. The first partition to be cloned is the UEFI and most antivirus software will protect that partition from being accessed. You can try changing cloning software to see if it makes a difference.

5. The clone is successful but fails to boot when installed. This is almost always due to encryption or security software. Some HP computers come with security software. If your computer boots to a password login, not Windows logon, you have security software enabled. This can usually be turned off in the bios. If not consult the computer manufacturer or manual. If you believe you drive is encrypted then turn off Bitlocker in settings. 

Is the SSD ever the problem? We very rarely get a Dead On Arrival (DOA) SSD. The likely problem will be either a cloning cable or software.

Resources that can help

Upgradeable has a Support Portal which has guides and support articles (you are reading one). You can also raise a ticket directly into this system for technical support.

Our guides: most of our troubleshooting tips are in this article. We do have a series of guides written to help customers with DIY upgrades. 

Known issues 

Acronis has been known to not clone audio drivers on Windows 7. If you do not have sound after a clone, it is best to clone your computer again using Acronis.